<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Family, Old and New by jacquelee</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034223">Family, Old and New</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquelee/pseuds/jacquelee'>jacquelee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Writer's Month 2020 [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Stargate Atlantis Setting, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:55:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquelee/pseuds/jacquelee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Atlantis expedition learns that they can send a message to Earth, Zari finds Sara contemplating her past and learns things she had never expected, but is more than willing to help her friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sara Lance &amp; Zari Tomaz | Zari Tarazi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Writer's Month 2020 [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Writer's Month 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Family, Old and New</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="https://writersmonth.tumblr.com">Writer's Month 2020</a> for the Day 21 prompt Family.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zari was surprised to see that someone else was in the mess hall this late, but maybe she shouldn't have been. Sara had seemed preoccupied with something ever since they had gotten the news that it was possible to open the gate back to Earth for a fraction of a second and that everyone could record a few minute video message for their families to be sent back. </p><p>She hadn't known Sara for very long before they set out on this adventure but in these last few months they had gotten to know each other quite well. Except that she never talked about her family. She was in general a private person, who would only talk about herself when it pertained to something critical in a mission. </p><p>And those times were mostly about her time in the military, her expertise in flying different aircraft, her later career as a freelance pilot that took her all around the world. Sometimes she would talk about her childhood, like the one time she had mentioned that her childhood pet had been a canary. </p><p>But Zari didn't know anything about her family at all. About her parents or if she had siblings. Even when other members of their team would mention their family, which she herself did often, as did Mona, Sara always kept quiet. She had never thought much about that, it wasn't like Nora or Ava weren't just as closed up about their families, though, of course, they had very different reasons for that. </p><p>In all likelihood at least, as far as she knew Sara had neither been forced by her father to be a demon vessel, nor was she a clone whose memories were fabricated. But still, she was sure Sara had her reasons, so she respected her right to privacy and didn't dig. </p><p>But she would be here if Sara ever wanted to talk. To that end, she got herself a mug of tea and sat down next to Sara after gesturing questioningly at the chair to which Sara had given a curt nod. </p><p>They sat in silence for a while, until Sara broke it.</p><p>"Did you record your message?"</p><p>Maybe Sara did want to talk about it.</p><p>"Yes. Talked to Behrad and my parents. Wasn't easy to fit everything I wanted to say in a few minutes but…"</p><p>She let it hanging, giving Sara an opportunity to pick up the thread and talk about what was on her mind. Apparently, she didn't want to, since she went back to sitting quietly for a few minutes. Zari already thought about returning to her quarters when Sara spoke again.</p><p>"How? How do you talk to them? How do you say all the things you…"</p><p>She stopped, clearly not knowing what to say.</p><p>"I don't know. I just spoke from the heart, you know. Told them I miss them, that I wish I could be with them, that it's been far too long since we saw each other."</p><p>At that, Sara scoffed for some reason, but Zari didn't ask, she knew if she dug in, Sara would just clamp up. It wasn't like she wasn't the poster child for choking her feelings down too.</p><p>"I haven't seen my family in thirteen years."</p><p>Trying to keep her surprise down, Zari just raised an eyebrow at Sara.</p><p>"That's a long time."</p><p>She kept it at that, still hoping Sara would open up herself if she didn't push. And apparently she felt in the mood for sharing.</p><p>"I made a mistake, when I was in college. I was young and dumb. My sister, Laurel, she was two years older than me and she had a boyfriend I had a crush on. He was kind of a flimsy sort and he invited me to his yacht for a trip. You know."</p><p>Oh. Well, that sounded like the recipe for a disaster indeed.</p><p>"Did you go?"</p><p>"No. I ended up chickening out, but Laurel found out anyways, after they went. She was so angry. And then, the yacht, it went down. Sank to the bottom of the ocean. Everyone on board died, her boyfriend, his father. She was distraught. We fought and I know she didn't mean it, but she said she wished I had gone with him, that I had been there too. My parents, they tried to tell me she didn't mean it, but I… I could see it in her eyes. I knew she meant it, maybe not that she wanted me dead, but in that moment, she hated me." </p><p>Sara scoffed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Zari wondered how many times she had told this story. If she ever had. </p><p>"I'm sure she didn't. She was just grieving."</p><p>"I know that now. I didn't at that point. And I hated myself just as much as I thought she hated me. So, I went away. Enlisted. I think I wanted to punish myself for still being alive. And then, after the training and the first few missions, I did things, things I'm not proud of, things I was sure made me a monster. I never wanted to face my family again. </p><p>Even after I left the military, I never went back home. I moved every few months, always found new jobs in new places. I thought that was just who I was, that I didn't need friends, that I didn't need a family. But now, you guys… I don't know, what I have here, it makes me wish I could see my parents again. That I could see my sister again. Even if she still hates me, I just want to see her." She scoffed. "And now I can't because I'm in a different galaxy. Talk about irony."</p><p>Zari laughed a little, then shrugged. That was indeed a complicated situation.</p><p>"I am sure they would be happy to hear from you. Even if it's just a message."</p><p>Sara looked at her and there was more vulnerability in her eyes than she had ever seen. </p><p>"You think?"</p><p>"Yes. I am sure."</p><p>Sara nodded, still clearly full of doubt.</p><p>"Would you… would you come with me? To record the message I mean."</p><p>"Of course. Whenever you're ready."</p><p>Nodding again, Sara smiled at her warmly and to Zari it seemed like there was a weight that had just been taken off her shoulders, that telling her that story, asking her to record the message with her had been the first step she had needed towards truly forgiving herself and letting other people in.</p><p>Letting them become the family she so clearly wanted.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>